Homebuilder cranks out a DIY railgun that rockets projectiles at 27,000 joules

Once you hook up all the batteries and whatnot, the gun weighs 250-pounds.

In the latest installment in home-build railgun projects, a hobbyist spent two years building a 250-pound mobile railgun and testing it out against everything he could find.

Using 56 400-volt capacitors (!) to speed a projectile down its rails through electromagnetism, the gun produces a respectable 27,000 joules which translates into a flash of sparks as the aluminum projectile begins to melt due to the high speed and friction on its ride.

Then came the tests against car doors, a stack of ten china plates, a ceramic piggy bank (our soul-crushing favorite), and others